Have you ever been to a protest/demonstration/rally/march?

Currently, there are protests around the world because of the death of George Floyd.

Have you ever been to a protest/demonstration/rally/march?
What was the first one?
Why did you go?
Did meaningful change happen?
How many have you been to?

Before moving to NYC, the protests were just something that I saw on TV or read in the newspaper. Since moving to NYC, I saw them closer to me, meaning they were in spaces that I would walk through or were nearby. I still didn't attend or participate. Maybe I wanted to go but work obligations stopped me.

The first one I went to was Trayvon Martin. Of all the reasons that connected me to it was, I had just started wearing hoodies. I normally never wore them because I didn't like the pullovers, but I found some zippered ones and started wearing them as a layer. The simple part of it was that suddenly I realized I could be considered a thug and shot and killed. I attended the rally in Union Square and listened to the parents of Trayvon describe their feelings of losing their son.

After that, I paid more attention to them. I would start to notice the flyers that were put up on streetlights and lamp posts. I'd hear more about them via Facebook.

The next one I attended was Occupy Wall Street in Zuccotti Park. I went there during work one day and walked the encampment. I listened to the speakers and their disenfranchised stories. It really didn't connect with me. I didn't understand the inequities that they were talking about because there was no focus. It was like a laundry list of grievances instead of honing down to just a few to one.

After Trump was elected and he enacted an immigration ban that had put legal green card holders in limbo at area airports. I attended the demonstration at Battery Park in January of 2017 because as the son of first-generation immigrants I was always fearful of my parents not coming home either from an accident or from immigration police. Sure they came in legally and had green cards. But that doesn't mean shit when some racist officer of the law wants to flex how big his balls are that day. My parents thought I was crazy for attending.

One of the daughters of a neighbor organized a protest march for BLM at the park across the street from our apartment building. I didn't need to do anything but just wake up and cross the street. Over the past decade, I have been reminded constantly that I'm not white and that my privileges and rights can be revoked at a moment's notice by someone law authority. Again, my parents think I'm paranoid about it, but they fail to remember that I'm in a mixed-race, mixed religion marriage. I'm not white enough nor am I Asian enough.

So far change is little. Immigration is still a challenge for many, but legal green card holders who pay taxes get little back for such things. Today I heard they repealed Title 50A which was being used by police departments in NY to not report disciplinary actions for police officers.

This is more of a movement now, let's see what changes actually happen.

 

I’ve done a few
Easy to do, since I live near DC

They walk by me in hordes while I’m at work in the city.
Protesting one thing or another.
Actually, DC is set up to allow marches and protests
The police and government are trained to allow it
And they supply things for large ones, like portable toilets. Or even large screens to watch in masses.

I tend to do the less angry ones
Like the March For Science

Or attend “Keep Fear Alive” as a comic twist to protest hatred and political fear mongering.

Some important, like the Women’s March. (although they need to change the date on that, too cold in January)

Some less impactful ones, like Free The Nipple.

It’s whatever you have time for. Because it’s a good part of your day. And it needs to be something you care about...that hits you, that you’re willing to invest. Because you’ll be walking and shouting and being around others that can be REALLY passionate.

On angry ones, you may get really angry people, chaos and the potential of police suppression or even arrest.
That’s a real thing, depends on the tone and the government.

Most are peaceful and organized.

I make a true judgment call on each. The weather, logistics and dynamics, etc. These are real factors.

 

I was there...it was the other part to Keep Fear Alive
(still have the hat)

Maybe I saw you there...
Was that YOU in the crowd???
You looked just like your avatar

 

I have not.